Photography and Essentialism

Only a few Things Matter

Recently I read a book by Greg McKeown and the title is “Essentialism” and it is a guide to simplifying your life and focusing on the things that really matter. Here are some lessons photographers can learn from the book, my favourite is, only a few things matter.

Photo by Thanos Pal on Unsplash

1. Focus on what’s important: Photographers can learn to focus on what’s really important in their work by identifying their core values and priorities. This can help them to avoid getting bogged down in unimportant tasks and stay focused on their most important work. There are many things in the photographer's circle that do not hold much importance. If it is not bringing you business or money, adding to polishing your skill or reaching more people, then, you should say no to it, and focus on the essentials.
2. Say no to non-essential tasks: The book encourages readers to say no to non-essential tasks and opportunities. For photographers, this means learning to prioritize their time and energy on the most important tasks and projects and saying no to work that doesn’t align with their goals and values. You know what is important to you and what deserves your full attention. If it doesn’t add value to you or your business, you can say no to it. Only a few things matter, find those and give them your 100% focus.
3. Create space for creativity: Essentialism encourages creating space for creativity and innovation, which is particularly relevant for photographers who need time and space to develop their craft and come up with new ideas. This may involve simplifying your workload or schedule to create more time for creative pursuits.
4. Embrace constraints: Photographers can learn to embrace constraints by using limitations as a way to focus their creativity and produce their best work. This may involve working with limited equipment or time constraints, and learning to use these limitations to their advantage. Limitations are not a bad thing, they’re what govern a democracy. A law is simply a limitation, saying, this is how far you can go, and these laws keep us in check. Freedom in theory may seem fancy but in practice, without limitation cause only harm.
5. Simplify your workflow: The book encourages readers to simplify their workflows and eliminate unnecessary steps. You can apply this concept to your own workflows by identifying and eliminating unnecessary steps in your editing, post-processing, and delivery processes. Remember, you do not have to do everything by yourself. As you see your business grow, you can and should learn to delegate stuff, and focus on the most essential, things which make a business run; landing more clients.

Thank you for checking this article out, if this brought you value, I’m certain you’ll love my books on photography on Amazon. My name is Clement Eastwood, and I’m here to bring you value.